What makes your team work so well?  Please discuss in detail (e.g., what is your administrator’s role on the team, how is staff represented, etc.)? The reason our team works so well together is that we respect one another’s ideas. We know that we are working toward a common goal.  At our meetings, everyone has the opportunity to voice his/her grade level’s opinions.  Our staff is well represented by having one person from each grade level on the team.  Although we have had a change in administration this year, Mr. Williams, our acting principal, goes out of his way to attend as many meetings as possible. He also supports our decisions involving the school. 

How does your team use data to make decisions on campus? We look at where we are falling short, and we target that area.  In the areas of improvement we continue what is working well and give positive praise.  We recognized good behavior throughout the school by passing out BEARS tickets to classes that exhibited the BEARS expectations.  One example of how we used data was by revamping the morning duty schedule.  Before the school year began, we looked at the data and realized that the blacktop was a major area of concern.  Students are supposed to go to the PE blacktop in the mornings.  We realized that most of the discipline problems in the classroom began at the blacktop in the mornings.  The PBS team rectified the situation by adjusting the morning duty schedule to have three more teachers at the blacktop in the mornings.  We also reinforced the good behavior by passing out BEARS tickets to classes that followed the BEARS expectations on the blacktop.

We also used data to find out students that are repeat offenders with referrals.  We held meetings for teachers who wanted help with these, or other children that needed help.  We had a couple of teachers respond.  We first met with the teacher and got information on the child and the problem.  Teachers and our coach gave great ideas to try with the child.  We then had a “mentor” teacher to keep up with that child, talking to them whenever they could, encouraging them.  The child, after making good choices for the teacher, could visit the mentor teacher’s class to read, get stickers, color positive behavior charts and receive lots of hugs.

How do you share information with the rest of your faculty (e.g., emails, newsletters, meetings, etc.)?  How often do you share this information? After our monthly meetings, the grade level representative relays information back to their peers. We also share information at faculty meetings, emails, and grade level team meetings as often as necessary. 

What do you see as the overall strengths of your team?  Please provide details. The strength of our team lies in how we are supportive of one another, energized to succeed, and are always looking for new ideas.  When we meet, everyone is made to feel part of the team by having the opportunity to share their ideas. The entire staff is involved in the BEARS program. In order to earn a reward, classes must be recognized from someone in each area by earning different tickets.

In what areas of PBS does your team excel (e.g., rewarding students/staff, teaching expectations, data-based decision-making, etc.)?  Please provide details below. We excel by continually asking and receiving feedback from the faculty, as well as, students in order to determine ways to improve.  We reward students in several ways. Individual students are recognized by our administrators on the morning news by reading a “Yahoo” that a staff member has completed.  Once a month, we also hold Celebration Days where students that have maintained good behavior can wear something special based on the theme of the month.  The themes vary each month to include wearing favorite shirt, hat, dress up, dress tacky/nerdy, or their favorite outfit. Classes are rewarded by earning “BEARS” from special area teachers, in the hallways, blacktop, and the lunch room.  Each time a class earns a set of Cubby Bears (40 BEARS tickets) they are rewarded with a different “prize”.  When a staff member spots another going the extra mile, he/she then completes a “Gotcha” form.  The Gotcha is then read on the morning TV and the teacher receives a button to wear for a few days. 

Discuss the changes you have seen on campus since PBS implementation (e.g., data, climate, morale, etc.). We have more order in the hallways and on the blacktop in the mornings.  Teachers are also more involved with one another’s class in complementing and helping the students understand expectations.  The students are more conscious of their behaviors because they want to earn a BEARS ticket. 

What are some obstacles that your team has had to overcome?  Please explain the process for overcoming these hurdles below. One main obstacle has been to get everyone to be consistent about distributing the BEARS.  At the beginning of the school year, everyone was doing a great job passing out the tickets, but as the weeks progressed, teachers didn’t pass out the BEARS and students began slacking in their behavior.  We started putting reminders on the morning news, sent out emails, and put more tickets in their mailboxes. We have also had some teachers that were resistant to change and were reluctant to accept the PBS expectations. To encourage them to participate, we had someone from the team personally talk to them to clear up any misunderstandings they may have had.